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Dear Pittsburgh, I Think We Need A Little Space.

Nearing the mid-way point of this nine game home stand, next up: the Pittsburgh Pirates. Division games often make the difference at the end of the season. Now is the time to pull away from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Here are your 2011 standings in the NL Central as of today, May 27:

Sitting side by side like Siamese twins sharing the fourth spot in the NL Central, the Cubs and Pirates are both clawing away as best they can to see what the Cards and Reds are up to atop the standings. Hoping the hole they are standing in isn’t made of quicksand, they’ve got their shovels out trying to dig their way out of the hole they dug themselves. Like watching two people doing their best to recover from a slip of the tongue, Cubs fans will be rooting for the Cubs to successfully do so and hope the Pirates end up packing up their things and asking for room in the basement next to the Astros in the basement of the division.

As expected, the Central is turning into a four team race. After this series, one of the two teams will have separated themselves from the other and hopefully it’s the Cubs joining the Brewers, Reds and Cards and not the Pirates. It is so hard to make up ground in this division as we’ve seen recently. Feels like in the past couple weeks, while the Cards have picked up a couple games on us, every time the Cubs win, the Cards win and when we lose, at times they still win. It gets frustrating to win a day game and hope you pick up a game that night, only to watch St. Louis maintain their lead. It’s a tough division, I know, but Pittsburgh, you’re getting a little too clingy. Enough is enough. We need a little space.

The Cards, Reds and Brewers all get to play the Pirates and Astros as many times as we do. Chances are they are going to take care of business. This week is our turn, our shot at winning the games we need to win to contend. Four games over the Astros, we’ve done a good job stiff-arming Houston in the standings.

It’s time to do the same to you, Pittsburgh.

Not too long ago, Pittsburgh might as well have been a difficulty rating of just above an off day or batting practice. A young team fighting desparately to become relevant again after 20+ years of coming up short, they are slowly getting better. Recently, the Pirates are making it a series against the Cubs and at the end of the year, like last year, the Pirates even took the season series between the two of them. Chasing the Cards is one thing. First thing’s first though…we need to pull away from Pittsburgh. We’re trying to achieve something here and you are cramping our style, Pirates.

Doug Davis on the mound tonight. Remember Doug, these are the Pirates. Not the Red Sox. Get the W. Go Cubs Go!

Writing for:

MLB.COMVINE LINE MAGAZINE - The official publication of the Chicago CubsBASEBALL DIGESTCONNECTICUT TIGERS - Class A Short Season Minor League Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers
Writing Samples available HERE